Maybe Betawi Children Are Indeed Left Behind In The Times, Making It Difficult To Be The Governor Of Jakarta

The former governor of DKI Jakarta, who is Betawi-blooded, Fauzi Bowo, and his wife, Sri Hartati during the DKI Jakarta Pilkada at TPS 01, Gondangdia, Menteng, Central Jakarta, Wednesday (11/7/2012). (ANTARA/Ismar Patrizki/Koz/Spt/aa)

JAKARTA - Ethnic Betawi is considered not to have had the opportunity to participate in the Jakarta gubernatorial election contestation. This is what makes Jakarta only twice led by local sons.

Based on the population census of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in 2010, the population of Jakarta reached 9,607,787 people. The results of the census also revealed that the population of DKI Jakarta Province was dominated by the Javanese Tribe with a total of 3,453 million people. In the second to fifth positions consecutively occupied by the Betawi Tribe (2,700 million); Sundanese (1,395 million); China (632 thousand); and Batak (327 thousand).

Every time before the election of the Governor, calls for prioritizing the native sons of the region as cagub are almost always echoed by Betawi cultural activists.

Since the post-independent governor election of the Republic of Indonesia, Jakarta has had a total of 22 regional leaders. Starting from Suwiryo, who became Jakarta's first governor after the proclamation of Indonesian independence on August 17, 1945, to Heru Budi Hartono who served as Governor replacing Anies Baswedan.

But in fact, only twice that Jakarta was led by local sons, namely Soerjadi Soedirdja who led DKI for the 1992-1997 period, and Fauzi Bowo for the 2007-2012 period.

Even ahead of the 2024 Simultaneous Pilkada which will be held on November 27, the names that appear as candidates for Governor of Jakarta are dominated by other local people.

Call it Anies Baswedan and Sohibul Iman who were promoted by PKS, then there were Ridwan Kamil, to Kaesang Pangarep. Only NasDem politician Sahroni, who is a native son of Jakarta, is said to be running for the 2024 Pilkada.

Betawi cultural observer Masykur Isnan said that systemally, the election of regional head candidates in Jakarta cannot be separated from the political party (parpol) that carries it. Political parties also have their own mechanism to determine candidate candidates.

"The perspective for prioritizing Betawi people has not become the main benchmark for political parties, so that the screening process cannot involve Jakarta children as a priority," said Masykur Isnan when contacted by VOI.

Despite encouraging regional sons to be given the opportunity, Masykur Isnan emphasized that not just any Betawi people could be appointed to the Jakarta Pilkada.

"It must be seen whether it is qualified or not seen as a candidate," he said.

Regional leaders must be sure to understand the conditions of their own area. In addition, it must have a closeness both socially, culturally to the region being led. It should not be paradoxical, the leader of an area does not have two things," Isnan added.

According to him, the participation of Betawi people, who incidentally are native Jakarta residents, has the potential to provide benefits. The closeness of localistics, problems, cultural methods, and others can be added value in Jakarta, in addition to applying competence.

"The figure of Betawi people has added value, so it is necessary to give equal opportunities and space to advance their own regions. Other areas are also given the same, for example Papua, given the opportunity for local communities to participate in contestation and lead their own regions," he said.

Previously, the proposal for the Betawi elements to be owned by one of the governors or deputy governors of DK Jakarta was revealed by a member of the Regional Representative Council (DPD) Sylviana Murni.

"So I mean that this collaboration between democratics can still be chosen, but there are provisions that stipulate that political parties will nominate in the mandatory regional elections, one of which must be Betawi people," said Sylvi on March 15, 2024.

He reflected on the Papua region which accommodates indigenous Papuans (OAP) to occupy political positions such as regional heads. In addition, OAP representatives also occupy positions as members of the DPR.

"Well, if for example it is appointed, but all parties that appoint a partner to fight for the Pilkada have a 20-percent female quota obligation. But this must be the deputy governor, the governor, it must be from the Betawi element," suggested Sylvi, who had fought in the 2017 DKI Pilkada as a candidate for deputy governor to accompany Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono.

However, a different opinion was expressed by a historian from Jakarta, JJ Rizal, who considered that there was no guarantee of advanced local culture if the Governor of Jakarta came from a Betawi native. Based on his experience, the governor of the Betawi ethnicity did not necessarily make changes to his own culture.

"Because in history it was described, precisely when the governor was Betawi, the Betawi culture was stagnant, not progress," said Rizal on March 6, 2016.

He did not mind if only a few Betawi ethnic groups ran for governor of Jakarta. There is no connection between the cagub from Betawi and the fate of its culture.

"Indeed, when the governor was not a Betawi person, like Bang Ali (Ali Sadikin's nickname), he was serious about managing Betawi people and needed awareness that Jakarta needed a cultural identity," said Rizal.